[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 68 (Wednesday, April 9, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19579-19580]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-07956]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XV92
Marine Mammals; File No. 14610
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for permit amendment.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given the Alaska Department of Fish and Game
(ADFG), Division of Wildlife Conservation, Juneau, AK (Principal
Investigator: Lori Quakenbush), has applied for an amendment to
Scientific Research Permit No. 14610-02.
DATES: Written, telefaxed, or email comments must be received on or
before May 9, 2014.
ADDRESSES: The application and related documents are available for
review by selecting ``Records Open for Public Comment'' from the
Features box on the Applications and Permits for Protected Species home
page, https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov, and then selecting File No. 14450-01
from the list of available applications.
These documents are also available upon written request or by
appointment in the Permits and Conservation Division, Office of
Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13705, Silver
Spring, MD 20910; phone (301) 427-8401; fax (301) 713-0376.
Written comments on this application should be submitted to the
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, at the address listed above.
Comments may also be submitted by facsimile to (301) 713-0376, or by
email to [email protected]. Please include the File No. in the
subject line of the email comment.
Those individuals requesting a public hearing should submit a
written request to the Chief, Permits and Conservation Division at the
address listed above. The request should set forth the specific reasons
why a hearing on this application would be appropriate.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tammy Adams or Courtney Smith, (301)
427-8401.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject amendment to Permit No. 14610-02
is requested under the authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of
1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), the regulations governing
the taking and importing of marine mammals (50 CFR part 216), the
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.),
and the regulations governing the taking, importing, and exporting of
endangered and threatened species (50 CFR parts 222-226).
On April 20, 2010, notice was published in the Federal Register (75
FR 20565) that a request for a permit to conduct research on beluga
whales
[[Page 19580]]
(Delphinapterus leucas), endangered bowhead whales (Balaena
mysticetus), gray whales (Eschrictius robustus), and endangered
humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) had been submitted by the
above-named applicant. The requested permit was issued on May 21, 2010
(75 FR 30383) for the beluga whale and gray whale projects under the
authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended
(MMPA; 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), and the regulations governing the
taking and importing of marine mammals (50 CFR part 216). A decision on
the bowhead whale and humpback whale projects was deferred pending
completion of consultation under section 7 of the Endangered Species
Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
An amended permit (No. 14610-01) was issued on August 3, 2010 (75
CFR 50748) under the authority of the MMPA, the regulations governing
the taking and importing of marine mammals, the ESA, and the
regulations governing the taking, importing, and exporting of
endangered and threatened species (50 CFR parts 222-226) to include
remote biopsy and instrument attachment for bowhead and humpback
whales. The amended permit is valid through the expiration date of the
original permit, May 31, 2015.
The permit holder is requesting the permit be amended to include
authorization for takes during photo-identification efforts to
determine stock or feeding group affiliation of gray whales encountered
in Alaskan waters (Chukchi and western Beaufort seas). Photo-
identification, in addition to currently authorized tagging and biopsy
efforts, will allow larger sample sizes to increase knowledge of gray
whale movements, habitat use, and behavior relative to industrial
activities including oil and gas and shipping in the Arctic. The permit
holder is requesting to take up to 300 gray whales per year by
harassment during photo-identification efforts, including opportunistic
encounters during tagging and biopsy activities, and increase
incidental harassment of gray whales by 50 per year. The permit holder
is also requesting to alter a current tag attachment method to allow
for the attachment of a temporary acoustic tag using a two-anchor
system on bowhead whales. This request is to allow for two much shorter
anchors with one set of barbs each to be used for the short-term
attachment of a base-plate for a temporary acoustic tag. The two anchor
attachment is similar to that used by the LIMPET tag that has been used
successfully on 13 species of whales. No additional takes are requested
for tagging activities. The expiration date of the permit would not
change.
In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), an initial determination has been made that
the potential environmental impacts of the proposed activity are
consistent with the effects in the Environmental Assessment and Finding
of No Significant Impact prepared for issuance of a prior version of
the permit.
Concurrent with the publication of this notice in the Federal
Register, NMFS is forwarding copies of this application to the Marine
Mammal Commission and its Committee of Scientific Advisors.
Dated: April 4, 2014.
Tammy C. Adams,
Acting Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-07956 Filed 4-8-14; 8:45 am]
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